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Starting at age three, aspiring taekwondo masters can enroll at Core Taekwondo and begin accumulating skills from Master Meggie Presti. Meggie, a former elementary school teacher, founded the studio to share her love of the Korean martial art with students of all ages. There are two kids' programs, an adult program, and a family program, in which parents and kids train together. Those who want to share their skills with the world are in luck—Core regularly dispatches its students to perform at events such as the San Mateo Lion Dance Festival, where the mats are so springy they launch pupils into venues three towns over. During summer, the school's title discipline joins swimming, field trips, and other outdoor activities in keeping day campers blissfully busy. In 2013, the studio earned accolades from Bay Area Parent and San Francisco A List, which named Core a "Family Favorite" and the "Best Martial Arts School."

Technicians at Bay Area Laser Therapy help specialize in herbal body wraps that help patients shed inches and conquer cellulite. Engineered by a biochemist from the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, each wrap is packed with an herbal formula designed to cleanse tissues and contour the body without dehydrating the skin. Natural ingredients help elevate circulation, lymph flow, and nerve relay races within the body, which may aid in the removal of trapped waste and help restore skin elasticity. Technicians further help guests lose weight with fat-melting Lipo-Light body contouring, which helps the body flush out excess fat or burn it for energy.

Whether you want to bulk up or slim down, Peninsula in San Mateo is the place to do it.
Feeling hungry? Sit down for a bite to eat at this gym 's restaurant.
Let the kids come too! Little ones love the activities at this gym just as much as their parents do.
Distinguish your body using the cross fit formula offered at this location.
Elevate your heart rate and burn calories during one of these cardio kickboxing classes.
You'll find dynamic personal trainers to help you find your path to a new body offered here.
Brush up on your parallel parking skills — the gym's Howard Ave location offers nearby street parking.

Check out 24 Hour Fitness in San Mateo and put an end to "putting it off".
For a well-crafted dish, be sure to visit the restaurant at this gym.
You won't need to get a sitter before heading to this gym — kids are more than welcome at this family-friendly establishment.
If you're looking for an exciting, fast-paced workout, try your hand at kickboxing.
You can also enlist the help of one of our professional personal trainers.
Embark on a cross fit challenge. It'll transform your body, and you'll love your new-found definition.
Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Boost your energy at Personal Training SF in San Mateo.
Don't worry about packing a snack. This gym has a great restaurant so you can keep the fun going.
This gym welcomes kids, too, so you can feel good about bringing the whole family.
Whether you want to train for an event or are just looking to get to the next level of fitness, personal trainers are available to coach you through more specific work out regimens.
When you try cross fit, you'll become stronger and leaner than you ever imagined.
Brush up on your parallel parking skills — the gym's S B St location offers nearby street parking.

Pump it up! At Focus Fitness in San Mateo, you'll always have an awesome workout with top of the line equipment.
Check out the restaurant at this gym for a delicious meal.
Tots are more than welcome to hang with their parents at this gym.
It's high time you enrolled in a steady cross fit regimen to realize your workout goals.
Want to get in shape but don't know where to start? Enlist the help of one of the personal trainers on staff to coach you through the path to fitness.
Parking is plentiful, so visitors can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Groupon Guide

The Bay Area abounds with fantastic family attractions. However, they aren’t always appropriate for the whole family. Children who have just learned to walk often run the risk of getting jostled by older kids, and won’t understand most museum exhibits.
Fortunately, there are places that cater specifically to small tots. These venues allow toddlers to play, test their walking (and grabbing) skills, and most importantly, explore in safety. I can personally vouch for the five spots below—or rather, my 18-month-old daughter Isabelle can.
Though some of these attractions do allow older children, they all have spaces set aside for guests aged 4 and younger. Some of them have areas for infants, too!
Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
180 Woz Way, San Jose
It’s impossible to miss this big purple building from the highway. Head to the upper floor to find the Wonder Cabinet, a play area designed for toddlers aged 4 and younger, with attractions such as a dress-up closet, a sand play area, and ball machines. There’s even a separate Crawl Space in the back for very young babies. The ever-popular Waterways exhibit on the ground floor also has a section for toddlers, with water features scaled down to their size.
Baby Belle’s Pick: Little toddlers seem irresistibly attracted to balls they can throw, and Isabelle is no exception. She loved the Wonder Cabinet’s ball funnel table, where you could toss a ball in, watch it spiral down, and pick it up at the bottom before starting all over.
Admission: $12 for adults and children older than 1
Junior Museum and Zoo of Palo Alto
1451 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto
As its name implies, this little gem in Palo Alto is geared toward the toddler set. The museum grounds look small to a grownup, but they’re just the right size for children who may be overwhelmed by larger parks. Inside, the museum has interactive science and nature exhibits, plus the Babies’ Bramble, a gated area with toys and books for small crawlers. The outdoor zoo, meanwhile, has more than 50 species of small animals, including raccoons, peacocks, bats, and a tortoise.
Baby Belle’s Pick: Belle was fascinated by the Clean Energy Green Machines—an exhibit where you (surprise) load balls into systems made of pulleys and springs, then watch the balls rise, fall, and spin around. It was a fun way for her to learn how her actions cause reactions.
Admission: Free, although there’s a $5 suggested donation per person
Bay Area Discovery Museum
557 McReynolds Rd., Sausalito
Located just north of San Francisco at an old Army site, this museum affords some of the most gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge. For toddlers, there’s the Tot Spot, an indoor play area with two rooms themed around the wetlands and woodlands. The space serves as a haven away from the big kids, and lets little ones crawl, climb, and bounce over the scenery. Outside, a cleverly constructed “stream” invites them to indulge in water play. Pro tip: bring layers. Many of the activities are outdoors, and it can be chilly on foggy days.
Baby Belle’s Pick: The Tot Spot was a huge hit, but the outdoor stream won the battle for Belle’s affections. She could have splashed around all afternoon, pushing the toy fish and frogs downstream and just watching the water flow by.
Admission: $12 for adults, $11 for children older than 6 months
Diddalidoo
544 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno
Although this play center is essentially one room, it’s big enough for its target demographic. Toddlers play with its bountiful toys and navigate a giant padded play structure, while parents remain confident that no one will get bowled over or dirty. There’s a small café in the back, but families can bring their own food, too. The private nursing rooms are a nice bonus for guests with infants.
Baby Belle’s Pick: It’s a tossup between the dishes and fake food inside the well-stocked play kitchen, and the numerous ride-on vehicles that she happily pushed around and around.
Admission: $13 per child (with a discounted rate for any siblings after that), or $8 after 5 p.m.
Habitot Children’s Museum
2065 Kittredge St., Berkeley
With a focus on playing pretend and crafting, Habitot features a rocket ship, a grocery store, and a fire station, as well as art areas with paint, clay, and other materials. The space is geared toward children younger than 6, but infants and early walkers get their own gated area with padded climbing blocks and soft toys. Visit while you can—Habitot’s website notes that they have outgrown their space and are actively searching for a larger facility.
Baby Belle’s Pick: Like all toddlers, Belle loves making a mess. Habitot’s painting wall allowed her to scribble and paint to her heart’s content; she couldn’t spend enough time there.
Admission: $8 for adults and $10 for children older than 1
Photos by Anita Chu; bottom photo courtesy of Habitot Children's Museum

This week: Filter brings the noise, a carnival takes over Candlestick Park, a theater ensemble plays with Macbeth, the symphony teams up with Pixar, and Japanese pop-culture icons pay the bay a visit. And if that’s not enough for you, check Groupon for more fun things to do in San Francisco.
Filter, Helmet, and Local H
NoPa | Tuesday, July 15
Filter frontman Richard Patrick got his first big gig playing guitar for Nine Inch Nails on tour. Now, six Filter albums later, his band is on their own “anti-folk” tour alongside metal gurus Helmet and the two Chicago-based rockers of Local H. (The Independent, 628 Divisadero St.; $25; buy tickets here)
Tech Carnival at Candlestick Park
Bayview-Hunters Point | Wednesday, July 16
The Silicon Valley Sports League has organized a fitting sendoff for Candlestick Park, filling it with carnival attractions for all ages. Jousting battles, wrestling matches with sumo suits, and old-fashioned fairground games will all compete with food trucks and musical acts for attention. Meanwhile, the league will host its playoff games to see who will win the title of champion. (Candlestick Park, 490 Jamestown Ave.; $10; buy tickets here)
Makbet
Mission | Wednesday, July 16; Friday, July 18; Saturday, July 19
Part of the Fury Factory Festival of Ensemble Theater, Makbet is a loose interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth that relies on each of its actors to know every single line of the play. Members of the ensemble Dzieci switch spontaneously from role to role during the performance, which also incorporates rituals and chants from Eastern Europe. (Z Below, 470 Florida St.; $16; buy tickets here)
Pixar in Concert
Civic Center | Thursday, July 17–Sunday, July 20
Accompanied by movie clips, the San Francisco Symphony will play music from all 14 of Pixar’s films, from Toy Story to Monsters University. Each performance is hosted by a Pixar filmmaker—director Lee Unkrich, writer-director Brad Bird, or chief creative officer John Lasseter—who will talk about the making of their whimsical works. (Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave.; $35–$150; buy tickets here)
J-Pop Summit Festival
Japantown | Saturday, July 19–Sunday, July 20
The J-Pop Summit Festival contains even smaller festivals inside of itself, including the Japan Film Festival and the delicious premiere of Ramen Street. This celebration of Japanese pop culture also hosts fashion events, a pocky-eating contest, and musical guests such as legendary beatboxer Daichi. (Post Street between Webster and Laguna Streets; free admission)
Image credits: Filter and Macbeth images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Tech Carnival photo courtesy of Silicon Valley Sports League, J-Pop Summit Festival photo by Vincent Samaco.

The Fourth of July has come and gone, but there’s plenty left to celebrate—the power of pony friendship, for instance. This week, get close to some bronies, support local hip-hop artists, watch artists as they draw, judge air-guitar performances, and drop by Petaluma for an outdoor festival. Of course, you can also check Groupon for more things to do in San Francisco.
A Brony Tale
Pacific Heights | Tuesday, July 8, 7 p.m.
A Brony Tale follows Ashleigh Ball, who voices Rainbow Dash and Applejack on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, on her visit to the world’s largest My Little Pony fan convention: BronyCon. Attend the documentary’s premiere screening to see how the world’s preconceptions about bronies—men who are devotees of the cartoon—get thoroughly challenged. (Clay Theatre, 2261 Fillmore St.; $12.50; buy tickets here)
2Racks Rap Contest
SoMa | Wednesday, July 9
The 2Racks Rap Contest is just one way that Bay Area rapper and producer Sellassie is trying to “Stop Hatin’ in the Bay.” The live song competition awards its winner a $2,000 prize, but more importantly, it brings independent hip-hop artists together for a chance to support one another’s work. The lineup includes Democritus, Dush Tray, Way 2 Saucy, and more. (1015 Folsom, 1015 Folsom St.; $20; buy tickets here)
Monster Drawing Rally
Mission | Friday, July 11
At the 11th annual Monster Drawing Rally, audiences can watch more than 120 artists sketch new pieces from start to finish. The artists draw in shifts while DJs provide background music, and each work is put up for sale immediately upon completion, priced at $60. All of those proceeds then go toward art programs at Southern Exposure. (The Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St.; free)
US Air Guitar Championships Semifinals
NoPa | Saturday, July 12, 8:30 p.m.
Playing professional air guitar involves more rules than you might think. No air-drumming is allowed, for example, and guitarists are evaluated on three criteria: technical merit, stage presence, and “airness,” or the degree to which you embody the art’s unique spirit. Learn the rest of the rules and see who will proceed to the finals at the competition this weekend. (The Independent, 628 Divisadero St.; $20; buy tickets here)
Petaluma’s Art & Garden Festival
Historic Downtown Petaluma | Sunday, July 13, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
More than 100 vendors of artisanal goods will make the drive up to Petaluma more than worth it on Sunday. In addition to the arts and crafts on sale, the festival will have drinks from local wineries, a kid zone with a climbing wall, and live music from bands such as Danny Click and the Hell Yeahs!. Guests with green thumbs can even consult expert gardeners for growing tips. (4th Street and Kentucky Street, Petaluma; free)
Monster Drawing Rally photo by Catherine McElhone, courtesy of Southern Exposure; Petaluma’s Art & Garden Festival photo courtesy of Petaluma Downtown Association & Visitors Center